Field of the Disclosure
The present invention relates in general to regulating the temperature of a fluid in a container and, in particular, to an apparatus for regulating the temperature of a fluid in a bottle, and dispensing it through the apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
The temperature at which some beverages are served is important to appreciate their special qualities and flavors. There are various authorities that suggest the ideal temperature ranges for each type of beverage. The temperature ranges vary greatly according to the type of beverage. For example, a wide temperature range exists between the desired temperatures associated with different types of beer, as well as red wines and white wines.
There are several factors that make it challenging to maintain the ideal temperature that allows a beverage to reveal all of its qualities. One factor concerns the conditions in which the bottles are kept after they are opened. This can lead to a serving temperature that is either too high or too low after the bottle is selected, opened and served. It is difficult to keep bottles within satisfactory temperature conditions, as they will more often than not become too warm when left on a table at room temperature, or become too cold if put on ice. Once removed from a proper cooling environment, keeping a chilled beverage at a temperature below ambient temperature is particularly difficult.
There also is some risk of the beverage losing its flavors and taste by bringing about a decrease in temperature that occurs too quickly. For example, use of an ice bucket or freezer may cause this destructive effect on the qualities of the beverage. In some businesses, such as restaurants and catering, this process needs to be done quickly and cannot be avoided. It is rarely possible for some servers to ask a customer to wait to taste the vintage chosen on a list. It is also undesirable to risk being discredited by serving a beverage that is at the wrong temperature. It is therefore desirable to facilitate bringing and maintaining drinks at an ideal temperature to savor it without necessarily affecting its qualities.
Various solutions have been proposed to maintain the desired beverage serving temperature in conditions that reduce risk to affecting its taste. Again, ice buckets are a common choice for this proposition and there are many different types. Other solutions are inserted into a bottle and incorporate pour-through apertures such that their apparatus is not removed from the bottle until it is empty. Moreover, conventional pour-through devices may enable excessive ventilation of the beverage which increases beverage temperature and affects its taste. Thus, improvements in regulating the temperature of beverages would be desirable.